rumors

Apple loves to have a tight supply chain -- one they can control, which will yield the parts they want. They tried in earnest to get Sapphire glass up and running with a partnership with GT Advanced, which ended up a disaster. Now they’re reportedly turning to a much more solid partner for display technology. Though you may not have heard of Japan Display Inc (JDI), you’ve likely seen their work. Though the report is fairly benign, it has a lot of interesting angles (pun intended). The deal will reportedly see Apple dump just shy of $2 billion into a new plant.

Remember that rumor about Samsung buying BlackBerry? It sounded logical enough, and caused quite the stir. Many rushed to get in front of a camera or slap an editorial out about why it was such a great deal for everyone (or not), and we all started thinking about what it could mean moving forward. The problem was — it wasn’t true. The rumor was just that, but it had ramifications. Stock prices soared for both companies, and now the SEC is investigating.

The incoming HTC One flagship — which we all assume is the One M9 by name — is seeing leaks spread around the web of late. Today is no different, and we’re now getting a pretty good look at what the next HTC flagship might look like in-hand. The device, which is believed to see the light of day at MWC this March, now looks to be more of an iterative update than a fresh take on the One smartphone brand.

Samsung has a round watch in the works, according to various reports we’ve seen circulating of late. Rather than a static round-face screen, Samsung may be working on something tricky. According to at least one source, Samsung will borrow a page from Apple’s book and use hardware to manipulate what you see on-screen. There may not be a crown, but there will be a bezel, and Samsung is reportedly working on a rotating ring that will mimic what Apple is doing with the Apple Watch.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are two of the more exciting products Apple has unleashed in quite some time. Of the two, differences are slight, but the camera hardware Apple went with on the iPhone 6 Plus is a good reason to stop and consider which you really want. A new rumor suggests those still standing in front of tables at the Apple Store might want to walk away for a few months, as the iPhone 6S camera might end up being even better than the iPhone 6 Plus’.

Rumors abound, Apple may release another 4-inch iPhone in the near future. Instead of abandoning the 4-inch iPhone 5 and 5s, Apple is said this week to be rolling out a "low end" handset with updated specifications and a price point to match. This handset would - unsurprisingly - look and feel similar to the iPhone 6. Components will likely match those of the iPhone 5s, fingerprint sensor and 8-megapixel camera included - and sell for the lowest price point as the iPhone 5s does now.

The last time we saw anything about the Galaxy S6, it was a nearly bezel-less device that seemed far too good to be true. And hey, it was; people quickly discovered the device was a photoshopped pic of a different Samsung device, so we’re back to square one on the rumor/candyland board. A new rumor, though very much an eyebrow-raising one, suggests Samsung is gong aluminum with the Galaxy S6. Also, they’re getting into the curved screen game, if the talk is at all accurate.

Do the math: after the One, there’s a Two, right? A new rumor says as much, and that OnePlus, makers of the highly desirable (but hard to get) One will be rolling out the successor to that device, of course named the Two, next year. In the report, we also get a glimpse of what the Two will have under the hood. We also get an idea of what pricing might be, and if it’s true, the honeymoon period is over.

In the latest iPhone refresh, a lot changed. In addition to the screen size uptick, the overall design of the phones changed, bringing a more well-rounded (punny!) form factor, and slipping us away form the squared-off design of iPhones past. Still, one thing remained unanswered: how would Apple treat the smaller iPhones moving forward? The iPhone 5C is near its end of cycle, and the iPhone 5S will likely disappear next year. A new rumor suggests Apple is going to come back strong with a new 4-inch phone to replace them.

Here we go again — iPad Pro rumors! This time, we’re hearing the biggest iPad will be called an iPad Air Pro, keeping with a naming scheme Apple introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. As you might have guessed, it’s still rumored to sport a 12-inch screen, basically making it a screen pinched from your MacBook Air (just, you know, hopefully with a better resolution). We’re also seeing some leaked schematics that claim to show a product in the works.